Daily Archives: June 22, 2015

Just spent a week with lovely friends touring Central and Northern Portugal, looking at rural properties ripe for renovation as I’ve decided its time to make my move to the countryside.

People of Paredes De Coura

People of Paredes De Coura

At the Grotto at Sintra’s Quinta Da Regaleira with Hans and Manuela

At the Grotto at Sintra’s Quinta Da Regaleira

Traffic!

Castle walls at Tomar

Castle walls at Tomar

Castle walls at Tomar

Manueline Style At the Grotto at Sintra’s Quinta Da Regaleira

At the Grotto at Sintra’s Quinta Da Regaleira

Medieval church and other architecture – town square Tomar

Antonio’s palacio

Stairs to the Library – At Sintra’s Quinta Da Regaleira

Paving stones

Doors to the Country house of Sintra’s Quinta Da Regaleira

Smart car with Diamante decals

Waterwheel at Tomar

Solar Power

Wind Turbines outside Lisbon

Stone houses between rocks at Paredes De Coura

Stone house in Soaju

Soaju – amazing medieval or earlier town – with beautiful ancient vines all shading the pavements and Hortas (vegetable gardens)

Espiguieros in Soaju

Health and Safety warnings

Dolphins off the coast at Cascais

At Cabo Da Boca – westernmost point of mainland Europe

For the people

And the fact that there are relatively less of them, this is peak hour traffic at 8am (Portuguese, especially in Cascais, rise later, so actually there was a little traffic, but an hour later!!)

And the stone castles and walls

Hidden grottos to hide from the heat, and marvel at the beauty

Lizards and benches everywhere,

And the ingenuity – of building between two rocks, because why not?

And the ingenuity of an espiguiero – a stone carved corn store on mushroom leggies, that stays dry, and rat-free – for centuries

And the ingenuity of vineyards with ancient vines which are pinned up on stone pillars to shade sensitive vegetables from (this day) 42 degree C temperatures

And for getting the job done – sans ladder or any complicated expensive stuff like that, even though you probably will not get planning permission for anything that is done without a suitably qualified (And heavily insured) engineer present, even if he hangs out the window to do it!

And I love the Manueline style and all the other architectural styles, so much art and craft – all mixed beautifully together!